Bilge pumps
Water in the ship can have many causes. The most dangerous is a leak in the hull, through which water constantly enters in an uncontrolled manner. Even the smallest holes in the underwater hull allow enormous amounts of water to flow into the boat in a short time due to the pressure and can cause it to sink. Leaking water tanks, toilets and hoses are also typical causes of a wet bilge. Moisture and especially a permanent water level in the boat are the main causes of corrosion, laminate damage and damage to wooden interior fittings.
What you should know about a bilge pump
A bilge pump belongs on every boat. It is an important part of the safety equipment. Many countries and authorities prescribe manual or automatic bilge pumps by law, depending on the size of the vessel, type of use and area. On larger, seagoing yachts, two independently operating bilge pumps make sense. As a rule, the manual pump is installed and operated in the cockpit. The well-known and powerful manual bilge pumps from Whale are diaphragm pumps that combine low weight with high pumping capacity. For smaller and medium-sized boats, they are ideal for mounting on the bulkhead. To pump water out of the bilge quickly and safely, bilge hoses or pipes must be laid carefully. The maximum suction height and the maximum possible bilge hose length must be taken into account. A suction strainer with filter should be installed at the lowest point of the bilge, in the pump sump, to prevent dirt and larger parts from being sucked in. Regular inspection and cleaning of the filter is part of the safety check on board.
Electric bilge pumps and bilge pumps
The same applies to electric bilge pumps that are supplied with power via the on-board power supply. Electric bilge pumps must have their own switch to switch them on and off. The circuit must be fused. The fuse must correspond to the current consumption of the electric pump and continuous operation in an emergency must be ensured by using the correct cable cross-sections. Automatic bilge pumps start automatically at a certain water level, provided the bilge switch is switched on. A float switch is either integrated into the pump for automatic operation or mounted separately in the bilge. Additional float switches can also be installed at various locations, for example in the engine compartment, to monitor the entire bilge area of the boat.
Can also be used as a multi-purpose pump
Manual bilge pumps such as electric bilge pumps can also be used as multi-purpose pumps, for example for pumping out the holding tank or grey water tank. High-quality designs from brand manufacturers Jabsco or Johnson are robust, oil-resistant and insensitive to chemicals. The advantage of bilge pump systems from major brand manufacturers such as Whale, Johnson, Jabsco and Compass is that spare parts and accessories are available from almost every ship dealer and marine shop worldwide.